England Set to Extend Steve Borthwick Deal Beyond 2028 Six Nations

England head coach Steve Borthwick is set to have his contract extended beyond the 2028 Six Nations, according to BBC Sport. Rugby union correspondent Chris Jones reported that the Rugby Football Union is moving to remove uncertainty around Borthwick and his staff before the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

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RFU performance director Conor O'Shea said the proposed extension would take Borthwick's deal into the middle of 2028. That arrangement would give the governing body time after the World Cup to assess who should lead England over the longer term, while preventing the coaching group from having to seek other employment as the tournament approaches.

The extension does not amount to an open-ended commitment. BBC Sport reported that England's World Cup performance will remain central to the eventual decision on Borthwick's future. O'Shea said he could not envisage a scenario in which Borthwick, who was appointed England coach in December 2022, was not in charge for the tournament in Australia.

The RFU's backing follows a review of England's difficult Six Nations campaign earlier in 2026. Results improved during the July leg of the Nations Championship: England lost to South Africa in Johannesburg, then beat Fiji in Liverpool and edged Argentina to finish that stretch with two victories from three matches.

O'Shea also expressed confidence in the squad's potential, describing England as one of a group of teams capable of winning the World Cup. However, the RFU has stopped short of the kind of long-term commitment made by Ireland, whose head coach Andy Farrell is contracted through 2031. England will therefore enter the next global tournament with coaching stability but with the post-World Cup position still subject to review.

The report also confirmed that the RFU is maintaining its rule restricting men's national-team selection to players based in the English Premiership. That policy currently leaves Toulouse flanker Jack Willis ineligible for England. O'Shea defended the restriction as important to the wider English game, despite calls from Courtney Lawes for the governing body to reconsider it.